Suggesting search results to users before receiving any search query from the users

• US 10,467,239 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael Dudley, Patterson, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Azam M
• Application Number:
  US16/003,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20180293286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes compiling one or more references to content items based on information known about a user stored in one or more object stores of a social-networking system. Each reference is associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the content item associated with the reference. The call-to-action elements are selectable by the user to initiate the execution of an action modifying the related content item on the social-networking system. Modifying the related content item may include modifying metadata associated with the content item in one or more object stores of the social-networking system. The method includes sending, to a client device of the user after the user accesses a tool provided by the social-networking system, the references with their associated call-to-action elements for presentation to the user. The call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their associated references.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by one or more computing devices associated with a social-networking system:

compiling, prior to a user interacting with a particular tool provided by the social-networking system, one or more references to one or more content items, respectively, based on information known about the user stored in one or more object stores of the social-networking system, each reference being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the content item associated with the reference, each call-to-action element being selectable by the user to initiate the execution of an action related to the content item, the action modifying metadata associated with the related content item in one or more object stores of the social-networking system; and

sending, to a client device of the user after the user accesses and prior to the user interacting with the particular tool provided by the social-networking system, the references with their associated call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their associated references.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information known about the user comprises the user'"'"'s demographical data, social connections, interests, hobbies, past actions, behavior patterns, or calendar entries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more references are compiled further based on a time when the user accesses the particular tool provided by the social-networking system at the client device of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more references are compiled further based on a location where the user accesses the particular tool provided by the social-networking system at the client device of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking the one or more references based on the information known about the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each reference:

identifying one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the content item associated with each reference based on the information known about the user;

ranking the call-to-action elements based a suitability of each call-to-action element to the applicable content item and further based on at least one relationship in an online social network between the user and another user associated with the reference; and

sending, to the client device of the user, instructions for presenting the one or more call-to-action elements as ranked with the associated reference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one top-ranked call-to-action element with each reference.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device of the user, a selection of a call-to-action element associated with a particular reference; and

executing the action related to the content item associated with the particular reference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to a search query corresponding to the reference, wherein the call-to-action element is selectable by the user to execute the search query.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a selection of a call-to-action element corresponding to a search query;

identifying one or more content items of the online social network that match the search query; and

sending, to the client device of the user in response to the selection of the call-to-action element, one or more references corresponding to one or more of the identified content items, respectively.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device of the user, an indication of an interaction of the user with the particular tool provided by the social-networking system;

identifying a set of references in response to the interaction; and

sending, to the client device of the user, the set of references for presentation to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each content item stored in an object store of the social-networking system is indexed with relational information between the content item and one or more users of the social-networking system or one or more other content items in the object store; and

the action modifying the related content item further comprises updating the relational information associated with the related content item.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the action related to the content item further comprises modifying relational information in a social graph with respect to the related content item and the user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising;

a first node corresponding to the user; and

a plurality of second nodes that each correspond to a content item.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the action related to the content item further comprises connecting a second node corresponding to the related content item to the first node corresponding to the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that is likely to be performed by the user with respect to the content item.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that is convenient for the user to perform with respect to the content item.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that the social-networking system encourages the user to perform with respect to the content item.

19. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

compile, prior to a user interacting with a particular tool provided by a social-networking system one or more references to one or more content items, respectively, based on information known about the user stored in one or more object stores of the social-networking system, each reference being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the content item associated with the reference, each call-to-action element being selectable by the user to initiate the execution of an action related to the content item, the action modifying metadata associated with the related content item in one or more object stores of the social-networking system; and

send, to a client device of the user after the user accesses and prior to the user interacting with the particular tool provided by the social-networking system, the references with their associated call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their associated references.

20. A social-networking system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

compile, prior to a user interacting with a particular tool provided by the social-networking system, one or more references to one or more content items, respectively, based on information known about the user stored in one or more object stores of the social-networking system, each reference being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the content item associated with the reference, each call-to-action element being selectable by the user to initiate the execution of an action related to the content item, the action modifying metadata associated with the related content item in one or more object stores of the social-networking system; and

send, to a client device of the user after the user accesses and prior to the user interacting with the particular tool provided by the social-networking system, the references with their associated call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their associated references.